(Eagle News) — “A master stroke.”
This was how Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III called the move by President Rodrigo Duterte to call for a special session in Congress on Oct. 13 to 16 to prevent any delays in the passage of the very important 2021 proposed national budget amounting to P4.506 trillion.
The President issued Proclamation No. 1027 on Friday, Oct. 9, calling Congress to a special session to prevent any delays in the passage of the very critical national budget.
Sotto said that with this, President Duterte is telling the House of Representatives that their action suspending House sessions until Nov. 16 does not sit well with him.
“Yan ang tinatawag na master stroke. Binibigyan nya ng emphasis na itong mga gulo ay hindi nyo puedeng gamitin ito para maabala ang budget,” Sotto said in an interview with Mata ng Agila’s Ely Saludar.
-Other important bills to be resolved-
Sotto said that with this special session, even the other important matters such as the franchise for the new international airport in Bulacan would also benefit from this.
“Yung airport city, madadamay yun. Yung franchise kasi supposedly pag naipasa yan, dapat yan maratify natin, pero dahil nga suspended sila (House of Representatives) wala na,” he said.
“So hindi lang budget ang makikinabang dito. Makikinabang din rito yung ibang mga batas na napasa na namin, na nagkaroon na ng bicameral confence committee, at ira-ratify na lang ng 2 houses of Congress. Malaking bagay talaga itong ginawa ni Presidente. Tawag ko nga dito master stroke,” Sotto observed.
He said that the budget bill could be passed for third and final reading at the Lower House, and they can introduce amendments if they want to.
“Kung ano naman yung mga amendments na, puede naman nilang ihabol. Kung hindi naman maihahabol, ay sa bicam natin ipasok. O kaya ipasok nila sa amin. Puede naman kami magpasok noon,” he said.
-2021 natl budget critical to gov’t pandemic response-
Sotto said the important thing is that no time is wasted since it is important that the proposed national budget for next year should be passed before year-end.
He explained that the 2021 budget contains the funds needed for the government to continue to address COVID-19 concerns next year, and the funds for the “Build, Build, Build” program of the government, aside from the other funds regarding health, and other government needs.
“Kailangan huwag magipit sa opas, kailangan maipasa natin ito bago matapos ang taoon. Sapagkat napakalaki ng mga pondo na nakalagay dyan para sa pandemic, para sa ‘Build build build.’ Pinakamahalaga sa lahat yung sa health para sa health, pati yung mga pondo na kakailanganin ng gobyreno para sa mga kababayan natin,” he explained.
“Marami e. Maraming importante doon para sagutin ang problema natin sa COVID 19,” the senator said.
On Friday night, Oct. 9, Malacanang announced that President Duterte is calling for a special session from Oct. 13 to 16 to ensure the prompt passage of the 2021 national budget after House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano suspended House sessions until 3 p.m. of Nov. 16.
This move by Cayetano was done amid a run for the Speakership post by Marinduque Rep. Lord Alan Velasco planned for Oct. 14.
-Speakership squabble-
President Duterte on Thursday night, Oct. 8, warned the House leaders to immediately resolve the Speakership impasse or he would be forced to make a move to avoid delays in the passage of the critical national budget.
The next day, Friday, Duterte issued Proclamation No. 1027 calling “Congress to a special session scheduled on October 13-16, 2020 to resume the congressional deliberations on the proposed 2021 national budget and to avoid any further delays on its prompt passage,” a Palace statement read.
On Oct. 6, Cayetano suspended House hearings and forced an early break for House sessions after the passage on second reading of House Bill 7727 or the proposed PhP4.506 trillion national budget or the General Appropriations Bill for Fiscal Year (FY) 2021.
The sessions were suspended until 3 p.m. of Nov. 16, although the official House calendar showed that the break was supposed to start on Oct. 17.
This came about after a supposed meeting between President Duterte with Rep. Velasco late night of Oct. 5 where the lawmaker allegedly expressed his intention to run for House Speakership on Oct. 14 as had been previously agreed upon in a supposed “gentleman’s agreement” with Cayetano.
The term-sharing deal supposedly brokered by the President in July last year involved Cayetano leading the House of Representatives for the first 15 months of the 18th Congress, to be followed by Velasco taking over the speakership position for the next 21 months.
(Eagle News Service)